Gables Inn Newsletter

January 2014

The Gables Inn Bed & Breakfast has a new web site!!!!
After careful research to make sure we have included more information, packages and photos than any other lodging website in the area and creating an elaborate, user friendly, design - we have launched our brand new website! This state of the art composition conforms to smart phones, computers and I-pads so you can view and interact with it wherever you are. The new and exciting Gables Inn website offers anything from pre-made packages to spa add-on’s, from breakfast recipes to local Hot Springs attractions. New pages include our inn-keeper’s special, newsletter and current events/happenings in and around Hot Springs.

Historic Baseball Trail

The beginning of every season all began in one place,Hot Springs, Arkansas is well known as a health and recreation resort that attracts the rich and famous. That was certainly true in the late 1800s and well into the 20th century. The city had the finest hotels, lively nightclubs, a beautiful mountain setting, and the famous hot, healing water.

In 1886, Cap Anson brought his Chicago White Stockings (now the Cubs) to Hot Springs. The health spa with its famous hot mineral baths, the mountains, trails, hotels and activities in this bustling turn-of-the-century resort was the perfect place for something no one had ever heard of: annual spring training for professional baseball.

In time, five fields were built. Each spring as many as 250 players came here to train, including the legends of the game.

Follow The Hot Springs Baseball Trail and stand where the legends stood, where records were set, and where baseball itself was shaped. A brochure guide can be picked up at the Hot Springs Visitor Center downtown at Hill Wheatley Plaza, the Alligator Farm and Oaklawn Racetrack. You’ll find square, digital ‘codes,’ which your smartphone can link to historic photos, audio and more, and you can use your cell phone to hear stories of the golden age of baseball in Hot Springs.

These Hall of Fame Inductees trained here or had significant connections to Hot Springs.

110th Annual Live Racing at Oaklawn

Jan 10 - Apr 12, 2014
Location: Oaklawn Racetrack
The Thoroughbred World is focused on Hot Springs' world famous Oaklawn Park. Races are Thursday through Sunday. Post Times 1:30pm Weekdays and Sunday, 1pm on Saturday. Arkansas Derby Day is April 12, 2014
Admission: $2
For more information visit them on the web at www.oaklawn.com

Tulip Extravaganza

Mid-March through Mid-April
Location: Garvan Gardens Grounds
A must see! Garvan's 135,000 vibrant tulips put on their show during the Gardens' famous Tulip Extravaganza. Even before the tulips begin their showy bloom, tens of thousands of fragrant hyacinths and daffodils put on a spectacular spring show. Later, in April, hundreds of red, pink, violet, and white azaleas and thousands of delicate dogwood blossoms will be on center stage for a show like no other in the Natural State.
Bloom times vary according to temperatures and rainfall. Check the Gardens' Facebook page for current photos of our blooms, www.facebook.com/garvangardens

Fun and popular spots for history buffs.

Hot Springs, Arkansas, has been a resort town since its establishment. The naturally thermal spring waters found here were believed to have healing properties, which is why presidents, athletes, outlaws, and other notable figures visited The Spa City. Some interesting moments in early Hot Springs history include:
Native American tribes called this location the “Valley of the Vapors” and believed that the naturally hot springs had healing powers. Even warring tribes are said to have bathed here in peace.
Hernando de Soto was the first European explorer to visit Hot Springs in 1541.
In 1832, Congress designated Hot Springs as a federal reserve, essentially establishing the first national park.
In 1862, during the Civil War, Arkansas Governor Henry Massie Rector feared that Little Rock might be captured by Union troops. He had all of the state records relocated to Hot Springs, and from May 6 through July 14 of that year, Hot Springs served as the state capital.
The Arlington Hotel was completed in 1875, and was the largest hotel in the state at that time.
In 1886, the Chicago White Stockings baseball franchise began spring training in Hot Springs.
In 1887, the Army and Navy Hospital, the first combined general hospital treating patients from both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, opened in downtown Hot Springs. It was the first hospital of its kind in the nation.
Between 1892 and 1923, eight bathhouses were built on what’s known today as Bathhouse Row. This area along the Grand Promenade was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1987.
Thoroughbred racing began in Hot Springs with the construction of Essex Park in 1904. The following year, Oaklawn Park opened, and it was soon the only racing venue in the city.
Leo McLaughlin was elected mayor of Hot Springs in 1926, and fulfilled a campaign promise to allow gambling. Illegal gambling had long been a staple of life in Hot Springs, but McLaughlin took it to a new level using voter fraud and other unlawful tactics to drive his political machine. During his 22-year reign, Hot Springs became a haven for notorious criminals and mobsters, including Owen “Owney” Madden, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, and Al Capone.

These are some of the storylines in Hot Springs history. Today, its heritage is preserved in many places around town.

Book On-Line

Book On-Line! You can book your reservations on-line 24/7. You can check availability in real time and then book your reservations using a secure web site. Then receive a confirmation by e-mail instantly.

Check Availability & Rates

Arrive:

# Guests:

# Nights:

Wedding Info

We are the leaders in hosting Bed & Breakfast weddings in Hot Springs, find out why more and more couples are turning to us. Whether it is just the two of you alone or encircled with close family and friends, our weddings are elegant and affordable.